Saving Bella
by Proverbs31Anna
Summary: Edward and Bella have been friends all their lives but when Bella's secrets, including sexual abuse from her step-father and boyfriend, begin to spill over will this friendship survive? Is there even hope for more than JUST a friendship? And what is it that Bella has been seeing? RXR
1. Prologue flashforward

_~In the rain, the pavement shines like silver; all the lights are misty in the river. In the darkness the trees are full of starlight and all I see is him and me forever and forever…"_

"I hate you Edward." I exclaimed as I clutched my chest. His eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"You don't mean that Bella." He pleaded. I glared at him through tear filled eyes.

"Yes I do." I growled with finality. He shook his head.

"Bella,"

"Don't call me that!" I shrieked. My heart was tearing in two. A wedding, he was celebrating, getting married in the middle of my suffering. Yeah, he cares about me so much, so much that he decided to relay the message personally to my house. The house I was supposed to be saved from. The life, I was supposed to be saved from. Now I understood why he hadn't been answering my phone calls when I needed him,

'Call me if you need me.' He'd said to me. When I called him he never answered, when I needed him he was never there. Why lie? I should have known that I couldn't trust him.

"You did this to me!" I shrieked. "This is your entire fault! I called you and you didn't answer! You promised to be there for me and you weren't! You did this to me!" I rolled up my sleeves and showed him the angry red slashes on my arms and quickly struggled to pull them back down. A look of utter heartbreak was etched upon his face as he stared at me in silence and in shock. He stepped towards me slowly, his hand out stretched as if to caress my face, but I backed away knowing I'd be hopelessly lost in his touch.

"Bella stop. Stop please." I turned around and raided my closet for my duffle bag. Taking all the clothes my arm could fit, ignoring the sting of the cuts on my arms I grabbed them all and stuffed them in my bag. Edward froze in panic and fear. "What are you doing?" He exclaimed as he jogged over to me, grabbing my hands. I wrestled against him, losing terribly. Finally he just grabbed my wrists and held them tightly above my head. Images flashed before my eyes and I cried out as the memories assaulted me.

"Don't touch me!" I exclaimed in fear. His hands, had transformed into Kent's hands, and Mike's hands. His eyes morphed into Mike's and Phil's. He released me immediately and walked toward me as I backed away. "Get away!" I shrieked as I threw my hands up to shield myself from him. In my haste to protect myself I tripped and fell to the floor. In a final attempt of escape I crawled to the corner and curled up in a protective ball trying to block out the world around me.

"Bella…" He whispered brokenly. "No…" He whispered as a lone tear raced down his cheek. "I'm not like them I won't hurt you!" He exclaimed fervently. I shook my head not caring about what he said. He was a liar.

"Don't hurt me. Please." I begged brokenly. My voice drowned in defeat, was of medium volume, but in my own ears it sounded so loud…

"I won't-"

"Just stop. Just get out!" I cried as my vision of the present returned. I saw him standing there as he was, beautiful as he was and as vile as he was to me. He stood stone still.

"OUT!" I shrieked as I gripped my hair. With that final word, he fled the room but not before promising that he'd return. I stood slowly, grasping the wall for support. Tears swam down my face as I finished packing my things. I grabbed the money I had saved up for emergencies from the bottom of my dresser drawer and grabbed my hair supplies. The last object of any value to me, sat staring me in the face. It was a picture of Edward and I on Halloween one year. Edward didn't dress up, but I was a cat and a cute one at that. Taking the picture, meant taking everything I was trying to leave behind with me, but leaving it would signify that I was definitely leaving behind a piece of my heart. I sighed and grabbed a nearby notebook, I ripped out eight pieces of paper. The first note I wrote was addressed to Mike.

_Mike_

_Ironic isn't it? You said I'd never leave _

_And funny how when I was with you, my spirit to you would cleave_

_Though you hated me_

_Toyed with me_

_Lied to me_

_And broke me…_

_I still loved you_

_Or atleast I tried to_

_At least I can say that I never deceived you_

_So this is goodbye, the final bow_

_I don't want any whys, who whens, whats or hows_

_You don't deserve them_

_And I won't give them_

_Just know I'm gone _and that with all my heart.

_**I hate you**_

The next was Jasper's

_Jasper _

_I just wanna say thankyou _

_You really lightened my load,_

_You built a lot of bridges and you smoothed many of my rocky roads_

_Jasper I love you, my twin, forever more_

_And if I never return just remember that_

_You're worth more to me than logic or the facts_

_That you always tried to quote to me_

_About religion or spirituality, _

_None of that matters now, just know that I care and I love you always._

_Bella _

Then Camiella's, Trinity's, my mother's and Emmett's and finally Edward's.

_Edward_

_We wore huggies together_

_Went to church together_

_Ate sand_

_Held hands_

_We even wrote things together_

_You cheered me on at dance competitions when no one else could come_

_You had my back always, and you were the only one_

_Who ever thought to put me first_

_And because I thought it was done for love, _

_Mistakenly I fell for you_

_I'm sorry I can't turn back time_

_This is one thing I can't undo_

_But its true Edward, I'm desperately in love with you_

_Even though you hurt me_

_Abandoned me,_

_Just when the love was getting strong_

_And I see that you have Tanya to make you smile, I guess you really do belong_

_Good luck on your wedding day_

_Something that I'll never have_

_No man will ever love me after what I've been through_

_You're living proof of that_

_I'm sorry I'm not Tanya_

_That I can't afford the things she wears_

_I'm sorry I don't have her skin tone or her really pretty hair._

_She's beautiful I'm not_

_She's pure and I'm a whorre_

_So how could I even try to compete, its an insult to compare our scores_

_I'm glad you're finally happy, even at the expense of my life_

_Just remember I kept her pure...I took her place that night_

_Bella_

And Phil…

_Phil_

_I hate you burn in hell._


	2. Chapter 1

LATE DISCLAIMER: I do not own Twilight or the characters, except for a few that you don't recognize. I do own the plot. I also do not own any of the song lyrics I'll ever use in this story unless I tell you I do, but I do own the poem letters….(:

"She can dance. I'll give you that." Eddie said. Edward gave him a skeptical look as if to say, 'She's better than that' but otherwise didn't say much else. Neither of them knew I was paying attention. I had just finished dancing my heart out to the song Edward had composed for me and was now laying face first on the floor, trying to remember exactly how to breathe. I loved that song. He wrote it specifically for the competition I was participating in next week.

"You need a ride home Bella?" Edward inquired. I paused and thought for a moment.

"Yeah." I retorted. I didn't bother changing out of my shorts and leotard, I'd do that when I returned home. Edward raised an eyebrow at my appearance.

"You're not gonna change?" He questioned.

"No." I said blankly. He nodded, allowing it to pass before grabbing my bag for me and walking me to his car. Upon opening the car door he paused. I looked slightly over my shoulder to see why, and he was staring at my upper thigh. Inwardly I began to panic. My shorts had ridden up and a dark purple bruise stained my pale skin and I shivered not just from the chill of the April wind, but also from the fear of being found out.

"Bella?" He asked. His voice sounded strained as if he was trying to control his anger.

"Yeah." I asked nonchalantly. He had a wild angry look in his eye, and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to get out of this one.

"What happened to your thigh?" I swallowed hard and looked at the pavement.

"Nothing. What do you mean?" his eyes snapped up to meet mine. They were full of disbelief.

"I know what I saw. Who did that to you?" finally a sufficient lie came to mind.

"No one Edward, I'm a dancer, I get hurt. It's nothing." I lied smoothly. His glare softened as I got into the car. He slammed the door behind me and went around to his side. I grabbed a cigarette from my bag and rolled the window down before lighting it. I only inhaled one time before the cigarette was missing from my hands and laying on the sidewalk.

"What the heck Edward?!" I shrieked.

"You don't need to be doing that. Especially not in my car." He chastised. I rolled my eyes.

"No, you don't tell me what I can and can't do. You don't know me."

"I used to." He muttered.

"Yeah well, not now." He sighed, frustrated.

"I've been your best friend for 12 years Bella." I shrugged my shoulders defiantly.

"And?" I retorted coolly.

"What's wrong with you?! Look I get you can't stand your mom's new husband and stuff but.."

"You don't get any of it. You don't understand a dang thing Edward Anthony, don't try to tell me any different. Take me home. Please and thanks." I shot back. He huffed again. "You can huff all you want, this is the new Bella and I do what I please, if you don't like it, too bad. Just be glad I'm not out drinking and smoking weed or sleeping around like Natalie." I challenged. Angrily he stomped on the gas pedal and I knew I'd pushed the wrong button but I continued anyways. I was still angry about my wasted cigarette. "Seriously Edward stop being so uptight. Geeze you're such a church boy. All you do is go to church, I can't even smoke a cigarette. Heretic. Ever since you graduated you have no time for me now anyways." Ok, so the last part was slightly untrue, ok totally untrue. Edward made every effort to see me whenever possible despite my new crappy attitude. It did irritate me though, that the night's I needed him the most he was at his father's church. He claimed it was to spend time with 'God' but I knew better. He wanted to see that blond haired, long legged Jesus freak. Eddie often called her 'sex on legs' and made jokes about pulling her, when he did Edward would just get up and leave, mad as a hornet. Even Eddie and I could agree that Edward liked her, heck, maybe he even loved her. The thought made me sick. Knowing that she had his heart…it…

"Here we are. I'll be by later." Edward murmured.

"Don't bother." I barked overcome with heartbreak and anger. I grabbed my dance bag and bolted into the house. I'd have to apologize later. I couldn't lose him as a friend, he was all I had. He was the only one who took the time to figure me out. I raced up the stairs and threw my bag on my bed in frustration. Tomorrow was going to be a long day….


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys, in reguards to when chapters will be posted,I will try to update as soon as possible. But I have church, dance, school, family, boyfriend…etc. Basically a life. Lol

I decided skipping school would be the better option, I didn't tell Edward even though he was my ride. My brother's Emmett and Jasper thought I was genuinely sick. I guess in a way I was. If he knew he'd tell my mom and Phil. Phil already hated me. I groaned and pulled myself out of bed to answer my ringing cell phone.

"What?" I snapped into my phone. The person on the other end inhaled deeply.

"Baby." I sighed in relief, it was only Mike.

"Hey babe." I replied as I dug around in my nightstand drawer for a pack of cigarettes. I growled in anger when I couldn't find them.

"What's wrong with you?" Mike asked hearing the anger in my voice.

"I can't find my fricken cigarettes." I fumed. He chuckled.

"I'll swing by in 10 to take you to get some more." Mike was 20 and unlike me he didn't have to worry about getting caught for skipping school, he didn't attend school. True to his word mike arrived a few minutes after we'd hung up. Pulling on my extra short shorts, I slid into his car with a teasing smile on my face.

"Dang chick. You're old man still feeling you up?" he asked obnoxiously. I thought I'd covered up the bruises better this time. Of course Mike was always staring at that area, so he couldn't miss anything. I didn't respond. "He is? Man, that's sick." He chuckled. I looked at him incredulously, not believing his reaction, at first he was so sweet and loving towards me about it. He vowed to never let him harm me again. Now it almost seemed like he was mocking me for it.

"What's so fricken funny Mike?!" I snapped. He did a double take then sobered up.

"Babe chill. I was only joking."

"You try having a 50 year old man shove his hand down your pants while he thinks your sleeping every Thursday night for 4 fricken years. There's nothing to joke about." He glared at me.

"Sorry. I just thought it was funny how he gets more action than I do." My eyes widened.

"You sick-open the door. Open the door I am walking home. I can't believe you what the heck is wrong with you? Are you crazy? Do you think I want him to touch me like that? You're the ONLY person who knows you sicko. Open the door."

"Bella.."

"Now." I barked. He pulled over in an empty lot and took my hand in his.

"You don't want to be angry with me." He kissed my hand and stared into my eyes. A dark cloud black smoke, I'd dare call it a fog, surrounded him the fog caressed him, almost seductively as his eye color darkened and became clouded with lust. He pulled me to him. I struggled to push him away.

"Mike, let go of me."

"Babe, it's been almost a year…don't you think…don't you think we should at least try…at least one time. I want you…" My mouth dropped in shock. Was he being serious? He took that opportunity to give me an open mouthed kiss.

"Stop." I shouted as best as I could through the kiss, that at the least was violent. He reached to unbuckle his seat belt and climbed over to my side. "Mike stop!" A tear ran down my cheek.

_Hey little girl, don't you cry…when you awake you'll be flying high on wings like an eagle…then you can fly away from all that he's done to you, fly away from the pain he's brought you…just fly away…_

"Stop…please!" I begged. "Please."


End file.
